Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are important medical agents, used to treat dystonias, blepharospasms, hyperhidrosis and other neurological diseases. However, BoNTs also represent the most toxic substances known and their potential abuse as a threat agent is feared (Arnon 2001; Wein 2005). The detection of Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) in complex samples such as foods or clinical specimens represents an analytical challenge. The current “gold standard” in the art for detecting BoNT is the mouse toxicity assay, which can detect as little as 10 pg BoNT (Ferreira 2003). However, BoNT can be lethal to humans in systemic doses as low as 1 to 2 ng/Kg body weight (Arnon 2001). Therefore, there is a need in the art for more sensitive assays for detecting the presence of BoNT in a sample.